


Cookies, Coffee n' Tea

by PegaPonyPrincess



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: AU, F/F, F/M, coffee shop au that takes off and becomes much more
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2015-05-22
Packaged: 2018-03-30 20:12:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3950146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PegaPonyPrincess/pseuds/PegaPonyPrincess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When starting her new job, Adeline Trevelyan did not expect to find herself dealing with a prankster blonde eff who causes too many problems to handle.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Adeline

**Author's Note:**

> Or, this can alternatively be known as "Annoying Solas, The AU".

She’s there, like almost always with those devious eyes and cracky smile that drives him insane. With that laugh he hears a block away and he swears he’s going to lose his mind.

He’s greeted the same every morning, and he really doesn’t understand why she’s there to begin with. The girl’s not employed (at least, not by this coffee shop) but somehow she manages to slip in every morning as they open. He questions why no one has bothered to kick her out – she is a disturbance to customers.

Him, mostly.

Her blonde hair is crooked, never cut cleanly and he ponders over the fact if she cuts it herself for fun. Her fashion sense (like he has any himself), is most definitely questionable and some days he literally stares in confusion. While some shirts seem too long, dresses seem too short and he has to admit she has legs for days.

But she’s young. Young, _young young_. Eighteen and graduated (somehow) from high school. He’s soon getting his masters from college and onto his bachelor’s – and there’s no way that this unsophisticated girl who calls him elfy will ever be his type.

Her name’s Sera. Just Sera, because she never shares anymore and he ponders if she was one of those kids who wrote only their first name on their papers. Like one of those kids who simply didn’t care and wanted to get out of school as soon as possible.

Needless to say, he cherished the days before she started to show up.

Solas knows she’s staring, he can feel her stare; cutting through him like a blade. He wonders if she despises him, because he takes cherish in his heritage, because he has pride for who he his.

 

* * *

 

Adeline Trevelyan opens for the first time on a Wednesday, and thinks nothing of it. She even thinks things are going well until she notices not even a minute that they have opened, that there sits a blonde, all comfortable with a coffee already in her hand. She’s baffled, for one, and has to question why no one else is making a fuss over this.

“Her?” someone replies with a grunt, rolling their eyes. “She’s a regular.”

Regular comes off rough, and her coworker throws the term nastily. Adeline doesn’t understand why they can be so harsh to a genuinely cute girl. Either the person has a problem with the blonde elf, or she was definitely missing something.

 

* * *

 

“Hey, who’s the newbie?” calls the blonde roughly an hour later. Most ignore her, which doesn’t seem to surprise her. She trots over, a grin wild and an evil glint in her eye. And if Adeline didn’t know any better, she’d say she looked ready to kill.

The same coworker from before looks up, frowns with a certain disgust and shakes his head. “That’s Adeline,” he says slowly, pronouncing each syllable. “Now don’t go pulling your shit with her, got it?”

He earns pursed lips. Full and maker they’re so appealing.

“Ain’t no fun in that, yeah?” she retorts, eyes finding their way to a scared but yet intrigued Adeline. “Tits, gimm’ a chance.”

But he doesn’t, and though that elf sighs and stares perhaps a little too long at Adeline, she fears that this is only the beginning of her day. Maybe her coworker has it right to be rude towards the girl, who so easily blew him off and used slightly vulgar language.

A part of the brunette feel bad, but does nothing about it.

 

* * *

 

“So,” the blonde draws out, leaning against the counter with a biscuit in her hand and Adeline is positive she never paid for that. “New, yeah? Never saw you come in before, funny though. I’d remember someone like you.”

Green eyes look up to the elf, hands still scrubbing the counter. “It was a whim decision from the manager.” Adeline offers, unsure how much she should even share. “He said that someone quit and he needed someone as soon as possible.”

“Aw, shite, that’s what happened?”

“I _beg_ your pardon?”

The elf snorts, a devious look clear in her eyes and gives Adeline a look. “Beg alright, I wouldn’t mind that.”

There’s a silence, because the brunette can hardly believe what can possible slip through such lips. And as she stares, unsure of how to even respond, the elf laughs and that glint is gone from her enchanting eyes.

“Oh, you’re gonna be fun, yeah?” she asks, though Adeline isn’t sure whether or not that’s truly a question. “It’s gon be good – you like pranks?”

“I – uh, sure?”

 

* * *

 

Solas sips his tea carefully, with a certain fear because Sera is not to be seen anywhere. And that right there means trouble, which screams at him from a mile away. With weary eyes, they trace the words in his text book. Perhaps, he thinks, he finally found a lucky day and Sera has finally decided the coffee should was too old for her needs.

The day he can enjoy his tea without that blonde ruining his day with terrible pranks and names, will be the day he manages to smile for more than a minute.

“A history book?” he hears. The voice is completely unexpected, but he’s glad to think that it’s nothing like that damn Sera’s. It’s calmer, and there’s just a certain something to it he can’t put his finger on.

His eyes meet a brunette, dressed in the uniform from the coffee shop and he only blinks once. A ghost of a smile comes over his lips and he replies carefully. “Why yes, elven history specifically.”

She smiles in return and it looks like she’s about to say something when in comes Sera, smile and all. “Hey elfy!” she cheers, wrapping an arm right around the brunette and causes a blush to erupt over her face. Solas feels the color draining from his face and Sera only continues with her assault. “This is Inky–”

“My name’s Ad–”

Shaking her head, Sera ignores her. “ _Inky_. She’s new, yeah? We’re gon have lots of fun, though like you care.”

There’s a look in ‘Inky’s eyes, and Solas can’t help but feel bad. He faintly remembers when Sera did the same to him.

 

* * *

 

“Okay,” Adeline says, weeks later and yet again scrubbing the counter. Sera bites at a croissant and if asked, the brunette won’t admit she’s the one who handed that over. “I have to ask: why Inky?”

“It sticks, why else?” Sera retorts, a sparkle in her eye. “ ‘Sides, Adel-whatever is boring, how’s that gon stay? Inky rolls off my tongue.”

Adeline shakes her head, still finding it difficult to comprehend the masterpiece known as Sera’s mind. “Because ‘Inky’ does not relate to me at all?”

“Teetness!” Sera claims, a smile wide and Adeline regrets everything. “You can be Teetness!”

“No, absolutely not. I’d rather be Inky.” she sighs, defeated.

 

* * *

 

“How do you deal with her?” Solas asks, not looking up from his textbook as Adeline makes her way over. The brunette slumps down, takes a deep breath and shakes her head. “She did this with the last new employee as well.”

Adeline raises her head and gives him a look. “Is that even legal?”

“No,” he replies coldly, finally looking away from his book. “But for whatever reason the boss – your boss, won’t get rid of her.”

Adeline hums in response, looking away long enough from Solas to catch Sera sneaking behind the counter, snag a muffin, and give her a thumbs up. She makes a mental note for later to (out of feeling bad, being she’s a good person) pay for the stolen muffin.

“My point exactly.” Solas comments, shaking his head and returning to reading.

 

* * *

 

“Sera,” Adeline starts, finally having the blonde elf in a corner. After chasing the girl around for the past week, who (somehow, she doesn’t even know how the elf accomplished this) managed to get the brunette in trouble. “Just stay still.”

Sera shakes her head, backing up until she hits the wall with the slightest thud. “No way!” she manages. “You hate me too! Then you’re gon try to kick me out, yeah? That’s no fun, ‘cause everyone tries that! Then you’ll get tired of this, and leave!”

Adeline stares for a moment, attempting to put Sera’s words together. “Wait, no–”

“Thought you were different Inky! Did pranks with me an’ everything!” Not only is she pouting, but her voice is raising and Maker she know’s Solas is watching. “But this is like my home, yeah? Can’t take that from me!”

“Sera!”

The blonde pushes past her, and though Adeline tries to stop her, she moves fast with skillfully placed steps and she’s out the front door. The bell chimes, and something shatters in her.

Behind an opened book, though, Solas hides a smile.

 

* * *

 

It’s been a week, a very long one and not once has Adeline seen Sera trot anywhere near the coffee shop. Days feel more quiet and even her coworker has comment on how different it feels to not have the blonde around. ‘Not like I care or anything’ he says, right afterwards.

Solas approves. _Slightly_. Even he has to admit that the atmosphere of the shop lacks something. Will he admit that Sera brought something to it? Of course not.

Some customers even question Adeline where she went, saying: “Hey, where’d that blond elf go?” or “It’s awfully quiet today”. And she can only fake a laugh and shrug it off.

 

* * *

 

Sera returns two weeks later with a small bag of cookies and wearing a collared shirt, jeans and suspenders. To top it off she wears a bowtie (but it’s tied so awfully that no one can actually tell what it is). Solas first finds her, double takes and spits his tea almost onto his book.

He is still, after _many many_ months, questioning her fashion.

Adeline finds her next, and the smile on her face is grand. She approaches the blonde with caution, though, and feels a certain flutter in her stomach as Sera smiles back in her own devious way.

“Raisin, better like ‘em.” she says, holding up the bag. “C’mon,your shift ended, yeah?”

Adeline can only smile.

 


	2. Sera

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not every person is simple to read, and Sera is no exception.

Sera hums, almost childishly and takes a bite out of her cookie as she watches Adeline work from afar. She kicks her feet up onto the table, much to the annoyance of Solas, and leans back in her seat.

“Must you do this everyday?” he asks, eyes dead and lost of any pleas. He scrunches his nose and attempts to return his attention to his book. “Those shoes are awful.”

He hears a snort. “Yeah yeah, says you. Master of fashion, huh? Ain’t that a surprise.”

Solas eyes her, shakes his head and attempts to read again. Only to hear Sera laugh and leap into the seat next to him, eyes bright and cookie in her mouth. She pokes at his arm, swoons only slightly, and chomps down on the poor raisin cookie.

“You’re getting crumbs everywhere.”

Sera only pauses briefly. “And? Inky’s on it, innit-she?”

 

* * *

 

“Hey you,”

Adeline looks up from the table, scrubbing at where (yes, indeed the blonde elf was right) the crumbs of the cookie lay. “Oh, Sera. What’s up?”

“Busy yeah? Leavin’ at the bell, have me worried here.” she brushes their shoulders as she passes, a devilish tint in her eyes. “Thought you’d like to stay, plenty of cookies here.”

There’s a soft smile, but Adeline’s shaking her head and scrubs. “I can’t, Sera. I have plans.”

“No fun, you.” Frowns she is, but she still manages to keep a chipper tone. “Not with egg yeah, I hope. That’d be suicide, yeah?”

Adeline snorts, which causes a brief but bright smile to shine. “Maker no. With someone else.”

Sera wants to ask more, but the brunette is moving away and she’s left with a multitude of emotions she can’t name. With a pout, she slumps down into the chair, bites into her cookie and leaves crumbs.

 

* * *

 

Sera sits, waits, and tosses aside her bag of cookies the following day as she leans against the counter. It’s one of Adeline’s days off, and they always seem to drag along like the rest. She doesn’t flinch when someone shouts, tosses their coffee aside in a rage, and leave the store with an angry child.

She snorts, lifts her head and scans the shop.

“Shite, too much cream, huh?” laughs the blonde, all smiles and ignores the glare that’s sent her way. “Outta do better. Not even new, even Inky’s better.”

The employee simmers and huffs before she’s walking away and moving to the back room to let out some steam. Someone else laughs, and while Sera would normally wear a proud grin, something gives her a pout and something strikes her heart painfully.

Adeline, all pretty with her brown hair loose, with a large smile and casual clothes. She laughs, sound filling the room and while Sera wants to greet her, there’s a dorky man with a stubble she finds ridiculous and he’s snorting cheerfully. There’s joy surrounding them, sucking it all from the room.

She feels sick. Sick sick sick and all she wants to do is get up and go. But as Adeline approaches, with a smile so beautiful she’s frozen to the counter. “Sera, there you are!”

“Shiiiite.” Sera grumbles under her breath, palms sweaty. Smile, she thinks, but no she knows she’s far from that as the man gives her a questioning look. “Inky! Need me?”

“Yes, actually.” Adeline says after a moment, offers a brief laugh and places a hand on the guy’s arm. “Sera, this is my _boyfriend_ , Cullen.”

Something breaks within Sera, and the blonde elf doesn’t want to know what.

 

* * *

 

“ _Who. Does. She. Think. She. Is_.”

Each word is pronounced with a grunt and she finally drops her head onto the table, much to Solas’ dismay. Upon learning the news about Adeline, the blonde has been trying to keep her distance, and the only other person to bug now, is kill-me-now Solas.

Solas sighs, glances up from his book and shakes his head. Day three of the miserable girl has been nothing but awkward silences until she bursts out into another small rant. To which, he half listens, half attempts to take notes for a test that’s upcoming this week. It’s not long until she’s talking up a storm, where he’s not even understanding what she’s saying.

“Hear me egghead? Listen.”

He looks back down at his notebook, words filling the page that there’s hardly a blank space. Perhaps he can take a brief break. “What possibly can there be more to talk about, Sera?”

“Goofy, what’s his name? Shite, happy they were. I’d kill--” she falls silent, as if she’s in thought and the bald elf swears he sees a tint of pink radiating on her cheeks. They maintain eye contact for a moment too long and suddenly there’s a crumby cookie in his face.

And he doesn’t even know where it came from in the first place.

 

* * *

 

Seven A.M. strikes on a Monday and Sera dreads the day. There’s no normal smile as she slides past the employee unlocking the door, who greets her with a cheerful “hello!” and the elf can’t help but wonder why they’re so nice to her.

Slumping into her normal seat, she’s greeted by a cup of coffee and a biscuit. Blinking slowly, she glances around in question, but soon finds a note underneath the plate. Her brow furrows at the writing, and at first she’s expecting Solas is suddenly playing a cruel joke, but when she notes it’s signed by no other than Adeline, she can’t help but smile.

Angry she should be, Sera ignores that for now and takes a bite into the biscuit. It’s fresh and delicious, and she wonders if Adeline specially made it herself.

“Coffee’s fresh too,” comes a voice, causing the elf to nearly fall out of her seat. “Brewed it myself.”

Sera’s eyes find Adeline, coffee in one hand and she’s sliding into the next to her. Mouth full, she doesn’t even bother to speak as the brunette laughs and scoots closer to her.

“It’s been quiet lately. Did I do something wrong?”

The blonde wants to forget, to forgive, but it’s beating on her. Sera inhales sharply, contemplates on biting her tongue, and speaks. “That boy, yeah? Boyfriend, pffft. Dork if you ask me -- but you didn’t. I told you that anyways.”

“Cullen?” Adeline manages to get in.

“ _Cully-wully_?” she laughs, and she’s going downhill fast. Somewhere deep down the blonde gets a feeling this is the opposite direction the other wanted this to go.”Been dating long? Not nice to fool others, that hurts. Think about that, huh?”

The brunette’s brow furrows, and while she’s deep in thought Sera’s continuing on and on.

“-- cookies! I _hate_ cookies. Thought maybe you’d make them better -- and you did, for a bit I guess.”

“Sera--”

She’s getting up faster than Adeline would like her to, with a coffee in one hand and the biscuit in the other. Pushing the chair in with her hip, Sera stares for a long moment, in thought, before she makes a move for the door. “Not now…. I can’t.”

“Where are you going?” Adeline’s following her, not that she should, but does so anyways.

Sera shakes her head. “I don’t know. Away. Far from you.”

 

* * *

 

Closing is not Adeline's favorite task, especially when she's required to do it alone. Too lonely, too quiet, she thinks. Especially when Sera's not around. And now, as Adeline locks up the shop and exits into the cool night air, Sera is nowhere in sight. The cars somehow aren't enough background noise, and she finds exhaustion is seeping into her, making even her bones ache.

Bed can't come soon enough.

The walk home is pleasant during the day, but not quite so when the night casts shadows everywhere. The sounds of the city blend and twist into noises she can barely register over her thoughts and as the wind whips at her face, she pulls her jacket (Cullen's jacket, truly; she snagged it from him because it's too warm to pass up and smells faintly of him) tighter around her. A bit like hugging him, she muses.

Thinking of Cullen brings rise to a mixture of feelings she can't place and Adeline shakes her head briskly, quickening her pace. Only two more blocks–

“Shite, that's what I said,” Familiar laughter washes over Adeline's frame and she blinks, turning towards the sound. Her lips part, forming Sera's name just as the elf meets her eyes. For a moment she looks startled, then her expression is all smiles as the nickname Adeline isn't terribly fond of tumbles from her mouth.

The person she had been talking to gives a friendly wave and slinks away, and Sera pats the now vacant spot on the bench next to her. Adeline steps closer, contemplates sitting but remains standing for the moment.

“What are you doing out here so late, Sera?” She's careful to leave any accusation in her tone away, lets her voice remain soft. Curious.

Sera snorts, rolls her eyes. “Maybe I'll tell you if you sit your pretty arse down a minute, Inky,” Adeline smiles despite herself, sinks into the seat next to her and gives her peculiar friend a curved brow.

“Well, then?” Sera's not wearing a jacket, she notices as the elf shivers visibly. Her backpack is stuffed haphazardly under the bench and, Adeline realizes, she looks purely exhausted. She connects the dots quickly, even before Sera opens her mouth to speak, hands raised defensively as though she knows Adeline is not going to like what she has to say.

“You're homeless,”

“Not even gonna let me be the one to say it, huh?” Her voice is still playful, but her shoulders slump slightly forward before she perks back up. “I float around. Friends and stuff, always offering me a place to kick my feet up. Not such a big deal now, is it?”

Adeline shakes her head, releasing a sigh. She brushes her hair out of her face and pins Sera with a serious gaze. “It is a big deal, Sera! I can't believe you...” She trails off, not sure what it is she doesn't believe. That she didn't notice? That she'd been too busy to see what was laid so clearly in front of her? “Stay with me.”

“Inky, you proposing now?” Sera's laugh is shaky at best. Adeline's eyes are all sparkles and Sera feels herself glued to the spot as she watches Adeline slink out of her jacket and slip it over her shoulders with ease. She feels warm, and she isn't sure if it's only from the heavy jacket. She scrunches her nose in frustration because for once, she's left speechless.

Adeline stands, stretches her arms high above her head, oblivious to Sera's gaze rapt on her features. “My home's not far from here, about a block. C'mon, it'll be warm. And I have cookies.”

Sera relinquished, laughing and jumping up from her spot to gather her few belongings. “Cookies are too tempting to pass up, 'specially when you make em.”

Adeline smiles and welcomes the arm Sera slings around her shoulders; revels in how Sera makes the exhaustion and quiet that's been haunting her slip away with far too much ease. The walk home, this time, is anything but lonely.

 

* * *

 

Adeline soon learns that Sera likes to lounge about, legs propped up and Maker she never sits the correct way on the couch. Feet in the air, her head hangs over the edge and she watches the small tv upside down with a lopsided grin. Like she hasn’t ever watched tv before.

She laughs at the comedy shows, and the brunette only knows because she’s awaken at 2AM by a cheerful laughter that’s hollowing through the night. Some nights she considers shutting off the tv on the girl, but Sera’s laughter dies down and it falls quiet once again.

A week in, after coming home from work she finds that a) Sera magically beat her home and b), the young woman has found the soap operas and is trying to hold back a gentle sob. Adeline pauses, lets a smile pass, and sneaks past without making a sound. It’s not until later, and she assumes it’s close to eight when she slides onto the couch next to the elf.

Sera smiles, shifts herself around and rests her head on Adeline’s lap, then coos “Inky.”

“Hey Sera,” she replies, reaching for the remote and begins to surf through the channels. It’s late, and she knows there’s a test she needs to be studying for, but there’s something tonight that’s drawing her closer to the blonde. “Long day?”

“Nah, watching all day. Some crazy shite on, yeah?” Sera snorts, nose scrunched up and eyes bright. “Funny though, never would happen for real. Shame.”

“What? You want that Spanish girl coming around here and causing catastrophes?” Adeline’s all laughs though, and smiles as Sera chuckles to herself.

“She,” begins the blonde, smiling growing. “Is a crazy bitch, yeah? Stab me a few times, scream and then get carried away? Don’t do that, okay, don’t wanna die now.”

“To you? Never.”

Sera looks up at Adeline, eye glowing and a devilish tint to her smile. She reaches a hand up, traces the brunette’s jaw briefly and inhales. The elf pauses, clearly in thought and as she moves to sit up the brunette begins to look down and sucks in air.

Lips part, just enough and Sera’s moving closer and Adeline’s unsure of what to do. Her hand rests on the brunette’s shoulder, and it’s so brief but it makes her forget to breathe and the world’s spinning. Soft lips, unlike anything Adeline would expect, and Maker did she suck on the bottom of her lip?

Before she can even say another word, the elf jumps up, smile and all and calls it a night. The poor brunette is stuck sitting on the couch, flustered and confused, but wears a lopsided grin.

 

* * *

 

Five AM rolls around fast and Adeline finds Sera fast asleep on the couch, sprawled out and blanket off. The brunette can’t help but grimace; the elf’s sleeping position doesn’t seem comfortable at all. Instead she shrugs it off and begins her day, deciding that preparing for work is the better option.

Besides, she’s still terrible confused about what happened the night before, and telling Cullen would make things terribly worse. She’s conflicted, because there’s something there for Sera, something big but she still cares about her boyfriend.

A sigh escapes her lips and she opens the fridge.

Other things to worry about it, like that test tomorrow, or the fact she needs to talk to Cullen. Or the fact she has a date tonight and the only thing on her mind is the blonde elf sleeping on her couch.

Well, that was sleeping on her couch.

“Inky,” she says, slipping past Adeline, yawns prominent. “Long day today? Shame too, wanted to go see that movie. Something ‘bout dragons, seems awesome.”

“I can’t, Sera.” Starts Adeline, focusing on the eggs in the pan in front of her. “Between work and classes, I have a date later.”

The blonde’s quiet -- too quiet and Adeline fears she did something wrong, but instead a grunt is heard and Sera slips past her again. Though, when she reaches for her orange juice, she soon learns that it was tactfully stolen. “Shite, you. Thought you dumped that bag of bones.”

“You expect me to tell you?”

Sera snorts, taking a long sip. “Yeah well, you made me to live with you? That’s an invitation to me, Inky. ‘Sides, nice to see you like this. Relaxed. It’s nice.”

Adeline opens her mouth to speak, but slowly closes it. In her own way, Sera’s on the ball.

“And,” mutters the blonde, stepping closer and trapping Adeline against the stove. “ _I don’t like_ sharing. Not my thing, yeah?” Her breath is against her neck and the brunette’s searching for air. “Cute, that’s what you are. I’m game, think you know that, but choice is yours.”

Their eyes meet, and the brunette is searching for any kind of answer but she can’t get over how Sera’s wearing a ‘know-it-all’ grin. Or how she’s remembering how soft her lips were from the night before. Trouble, that’s what she’s sinking in.

“Date with Cully-wully, yeah? Have _fun_!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scenes are still short because they're all I can manage half the time.

**Author's Note:**

> Writing Sera's dialogue is a bit difficult, but I'm slowly getting used to it. 
> 
> I'm still not sure how many chapters I want to make this, but I definitely have more written, I just have to rework it and what not. The characters are college bound (but that doesn't necessarily mean they all attend), and I'm slowly adding other characters into here. Cullen will be added next chapter, but he's in here very briefly.


End file.
